October 20, 2021

It is so good to be home! Even if it is only for a few days.

Friday we got discharged, despite some miscommunication and we went back to my sister's house. The weekend went well. Then Monday morning we went to the clinic for a routine blood draw, with plans to head to Flagstaff afterwards. We hadn't been to Flagstaff since September 3rd when this whole thing began. They found that Lucy's red blood cell counts were really low so they decided to do a blood transfusion that day. This meant heading to the outpatient clinic at the hospital for another 5 hours. In total, we were there from 9am to 5pm. I hadn't expected it so I didn't bring food, toys, a breast pump or a cell phone charger. We managed, with the help of the outpatient staff, but I will have to pack like a boy scout from now on, I guess. Tuesday we were able to make the drive up to Flagstaff. It has been so good to be home: to breath the fresh air, to see our cats and chickens, to sleep in our own beds. It's especially nice to see a few of the Flagstaff people we have missed so much. I wish we could see everyone and go to church, but our current restraints because of germs necessitate keeping a low profile. But it is still so good to be home. It gives me hope that normal can be achieved again some day. Please be praying for protection for our sweet girl. Today is supposed to be the day of lowest numbers. Low red blood cells put her in danger of passing out, low white blood cells put her in danger of any kind of infection, low platelet levels put her at risk for internal bleeding. To top it off, the hospital up here is not well equipped to take care of Lucy in an emergency. They don't have a cancer unit or a pediatric unit and they told our doctors they are too swamped to make Lucy the priority she needs to be in an emergency. The doctors obviously have enough confidence in her being ok that they let us come up here. But it is still really unnerving knowing how many things could go wrong so easily. It's hard to let Lucy be a carefree kid when all these concerns are hovering around. It has really put so much in perspective. With all the risks for Lucy, it makes me realize how much her life is in God's hands. But then I remind myself that Josiah's and David's lives are in God's hands just as much. There is nothing that could happen to our little girl that could take her life if God didn't want that to happen. And there is nothing that could keep any of my children safe if for some reason God deemed it best for them to leave this world. The same faith required of me for Lucy's sake is required of me everyday for everyone I love. The same good God holds them all. May He help us to trust Him as we should. Thank you all again for all your prayers and support. It helps so much to know that even when I don't have the strength to lift up this situation to our Father, we have a prayer army who is doing the lifting up for us. We feel so very loved and cared for. Prayer needs: - Protection for Lucy during this break - For Lucy's counts to recover quickly so we can start the next round of chemo - For Lucy (and the rest of us) to have some fun and a break from stress - For wisdom, strength and patience for us to parent and serve Lucy well - For patience and strength for all of the people in our lives helping take care of us - For me to be able to sleep better - For safe travel and good doctor appointments - For wisdom in choosing whether to switch hospitals for the next round Three wishes: We had a video appointment with a phycologist the last day we were in the hospital. At one point she asked Lucy: "If you could have three wishes, what would they be?" Without any direction from me, Lucy answered, "First that no one else would get cancer. Second that me and my family would follow Jesus all of our lives." After thinking for a second, she said her third wish was, "For Jesus to heal my cancer." I was so touched by the order she choose, that her first priority was to spare others the pain. And her second priority was to serve Jesus, despite her pain. Only after those did she think of saving herself. Sweet girl. May God continue to give her strength through this trial.